MEMBERSHIP AND CODES

Amazon Customer

News From No Man's Land

By:
John Simpson

Narrated by:
John Simpson

Length: 2 hrs and 53 mins

Abridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
13

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
8

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
8

On November 13th 2001, John Simpson and a BBC news crew walked into Kabul, and the liberation of the Afghan capital was broadcast to a waiting world. It was the end of a sustained campaign against the Taliban, a campaign that Simpson had covered from the beginning, despite appalling difficulties and, often, great danger. In this, his third riveting volume of autobiography, John Simpson focuses on how journalists set about finding the stories that make the headlines.

John Simpson Always Delivers

A solid book from John Simpson. I have read a few of his books in the past and always find them interesting and informative.

This one does what it says on the tin. True life stories from the front line, well described and thought provoking.

I would recommend this book to fans of travel and adventure.

Freddie Mercury: The Definitive Biography

By:
Lesley-Ann Jones

Narrated by:
Jane Collingwood,
Lesley-Ann Jones,
Hugh Lee,
and others

Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
86

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
78

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
75

This is the definitive biography of Freddie Mercury. Written by an award-winning rock journalist, Lesley-Ann Jones toured widely with Queen forming lasting friendships with the band. Now, having secured access to the remaining band members and those who were closest to Freddie, from childhood to death, Lesley-Ann has written the most in depth account of one of music's best loved and most complex figures.

Interesting book but irritating listen

This Won’t Rock You!

Overall

2 out of 5 stars

Performance

2 out of 5 stars

Story

2 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 23-12-18

I really hoped this would be the 5 star book we all wanted. Narrated by Alexa and an overly camp sounding Freddie this just seemed to be a bunch of snippets from the daily mail read out by annoying actors.

If you are a fan of listening to contractual clauses of record deals then you would love this book, but if you really want to know about Freddie’s life growing up and about his family then this book sadly disappoints.

That being said there were a few nice moments in the book and I still learned a few things about the band that I didn’t know before, but overall I would not recommend this book.

Seven Years in Tibet

By:
Heinrich Harrer,
Richard Graves

Narrated by:
Mark Meadows

Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
175

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
153

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
154

A landmark in travel writing, this is the incredible true story of Heinrich Harrer’s escape across the Himalayas to Tibet, set against the backdrop of the Second World War. Heinrich Harrer, already one of the greatest mountaineers of his time, was climbing in the Himalayas when war broke out in Europe. He was imprisoned by the British in India but succeeded in escaping and fled to Tibet.

Fantastic a life we never see.....

A Good Story

Overall

4 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 11-12-18

This story is great for fans of Travel and Adventure. The story of how Heinrich makes his way to Tibet had me gripped throughout, but the story did lose a bit of excitement once Heinrich does finally reach Lhasa. Nice insight into the relationship between Heinrich and the Dahlia Lhama.

First Man In

Leading from the Front

By:
Ant Middleton

Narrated by:
Ant Middleton

Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
7,261

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
6,603

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
6,583

No one is born a leader. But through sheer determination and by confronting life’s challenges, Ant Middleton has come to know the meaning of true leadership. In First Man In, he shares the core lessons he’s learned over the course of his fascinating, exhilarating life. Special forces training is no walk in the park. The rules are strict, and they make sure you learn the hard way, pushing you beyond the limits of what is physically possible. There is no mercy. Even when you are bleeding and broken, to admit defeat is failure.

Incredible book. Strong, powerful and inspiring

Great Listen

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 11-12-18

Great listen for any fan of Channel 4's SAS Who Dares Wins. A surprising insight into the life of Ant, especially during his younger years. This story really captures the imagination of the listener while detailing how Ant transforms from a well spoken middle class lad into the steely eyed SBS operator we all know and love him for.

Painting the Sand

By:
Kim Hughes

Narrated by:
Oliver Hemsbrough

Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
793

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
736

Story

5 out of 5 stars
732

Kim Hughes is the most highly decorated bomb disposal operator serving in the British Army. He was awarded the George Cross in 2009 following a gruelling six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan, during which he defused 119 improvised explosive devices, survived numerous Taliban ambushes and endured a close encounter with the Secretary of State for Defence.

5 out of 5 stars

A truly great read!

A good all-rounder

Overall

4 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 11-12-18

Really enjoyed listening to this story. Not quite in the same league as the books from the stars of channel 4's SAS Who Dares Wins but still a very good listen. The story does have a slow start, but as the chapters go on you feel yourself warming to Kim. A very descriptive and gritty account of life on the front line for a bomb disposal expert.

Battle Scars

By:
Jason Fox

Narrated by:
Jason Fox

Length: 7 hrs and 1 min

Unabridged

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
1,489

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,367

Story

5 out of 5 stars
1,361

Jason Fox served with the SBS for over a decade, thriving on the close bonds of the Special Forces brotherhood and the ‘death or glory’ nature of their missions. Battle Scars tells the story of his career as an elite operator, from the gunfights, hostage rescues, daring escapes and heroic endeavours that defined his service to a battle of a very different kind: the psychological devastation of combat that ultimately forced him to leave the military and the hard reality of what takes place in the mind of a man once a career of imagined invincibility has come to an end.

5 out of 5 stars

Life changing

Totally gripped

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 08-11-18

Wow what a thrilling story from start to finish. Told in his own words, I really enjoyed how Jason narrated his story which meant that none of the details or emphasis were lost. What a journey this guy has been on, and what an inspiration to hear of his achievements. As a fellow veteran (although not of the SAS) I saw many parallels between our life situations, whether it be the stress of going on tour or the mixed emotions of leaving the armed forces security bubble. I think we can all relate to Jason’s story to some degree. I would definitely recommend this book.